Packaging machine



Sept. 1, 1931. s, w MUDD 1,821,111

PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed June 28. 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 1, 1931- =G.'W. MUDD I PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed June 28, .1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm; afiWjVlactd/ T m a |l.l.l l lll/n-Fll'l aw 3 2 6 2 Sept. 1, 1931. a. w. MUDD PACKAGING MACHINE Origixial Filed June 28, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 1, 1931. e. w. MUDD PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed June 28, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Exam? Sept. 1, 1931. e. w. MUDD PACKAGING MACHINE Original Fi led June 28, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ram GOI'IWWMM WQN II R UN Sept. 1, 1931. G. w. MUDD PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed June 28, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Sept. 1, 1931 STATES PATENT OFFICE GARRETT W. MUDD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO STANDARD-KNAPP CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PACKAGING MACHINE Application filed June 28, 1928, Serial No. 288,957.

This invention relates to improvements in packaging machines, and one of the objects of the sameis to provide an improved machine of this character for placing articles or filled containers in a carton or case for shipping or storage purposes;

A further object is to provide an improved machine of this character operating automatically to superpose or stack a plurality of articles or filled containers and then carry them to a delivery station, at which station the superposed containers or articles will be simultaneously placed or ejected into a box or carton.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby the operation of the mechanism will be automatically controlled by the supply of articles to be placed into the carton or case. I

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the severalparts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, and with parts omitted.

Figure 2 is a left hand end elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on line 33, Figure 1, with parts omitted.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4. Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on line 55, Figure 3, with parts omitted.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 66, Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an irregular sectional view taken on line 77, Figure 1.

Figure 7a is a detail view which will be later described.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view of the clutch mechanism.

Renewed November 11, 1930.

low the shaft and adjacent the bottom of s the casing is a shaft 17 which extends there across and is parallel with the shaft 16.

The shaft 17 is a rock shaft for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth, and loosely mounted upon this shaft are wheels 18 preferably in the form of sprocket wheels arranged adjacent each side of the casing and are held against lateral displacement in directions longitudinally of the shaft 17 in any suitable manner.

Similar sprocket wheels 19 are secured to the shaft 16 for rotation therewith and these sprocket wheels 19 are disposed in proximity to the sides of the casing 15 and in alinement with the respective sprocket wheels 18.

The shafts 16 and 17 may be spaced for any desired distance and passing over the respective pairs of sprocket Wheels 18 and 19 are linked endless members 20 having pivot pins 21 connecting the proximate ends of adjacent links and which pins 2-1 enter recesses 22 in the sprocket 19 and similar recesses in the sprocket 18 for imparting a traveling movement to the endless members 20.

Platforms or supports 23 are secured to the respective links and these platforms may be spaced from each other for any desired distance and constitute supports for receiving the .articles or filled containers 24 and for conveying them to a delivery station in the machine.

The platforms or supports 23 may be spaced from each other for any desired distance according to the height of the article to be handled and may be of a width and length sufficient to support the articles.

' Motion is imparted to the shaft 16 for 0p-v a sprocket wheel 29 having a pin or roller 30 Which enters the openings 31 in the Geneva element 27 for rotating the latter so that when the sprocket wheel 29 is rotated the shaft 16 will, through the medium of the intermediate gear connection, be rotated to operate the conveyor. The shaft 16 is given an intermittent rotation by reason of the co-operating Geneva elements and motion is imparted to the sprocket wheel 29 by means of a sprocket chain 32, the sprocket wheel 29 being rotatably mounted upon a stud 33 secured to a suitable fixed support, preferably one of the sides of the casing 15. The sprocket chain 32 also passes over a sprocket wheel 34 which is loosely mounted upon a shaft 35 (see particularly Figure 8) journaled in suitable bearings, and connected with the shaft 35 for rotation therewith is a sprocket 36.

A motor 37 is mounted upon a suitable support from which the mechanism is driven and to the shaft of the motor is connected at sprocket Wheel 38 over which a sprocket chain 39 passes, the sprocket chain also passing over the sprocket 36 for rotating the shaft 35.

The sprocket 34 being loosely mounted upon the shaft 35, it will be manifest that the shaft 35 may be rotated independently of this sprocket, with the result that the conveyor will remain idle until the sprocket 34 is connected with the shaft 35 for rotation therewith. To that end any suitable means may be provided for forming such connection. A simple and eflicient means embodies a disc 40 (see particularly Fig. 7 a) which is connected with the sprocket-34 for rotation therewith but which disc is loosely mounted with respect to the shaft 35.

Fast to the shaft 35 is a ratchet member 41 and pivotally mounted upon the disc 40 is a dog or pawl 42, the end 43 of which is adapted to co-operate with the teeth of the ratchet 41 for locking the disc 40 and sprocket 34 for rotation. with the shaft 35. A spring 44 is provided which tends normally to move the end 43 of the pawl 42 into operative engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 41. Thus when the pawl 42 engages the ratchet 41 the sprocket 34 will be locked for rotation with the shaft 35 and motion will then be conveyed by means of the sprocket chain 32 to the sprocket wheel 29 to rotate the latter and thereby through the medium of the projection 30 and Geneva element 27,

together with the intermeshing gears 26 and 25, rotate the shaft 16. The shaft 16 will continue to rotate until the pawl 42 is tripped. The tripping of the pawl is so constructed and operated that any desired number of steps of intermittent motion may be imparted to the shaft 16 according to the provisions of the Geneva element.

Therefore, in order to arrest the movement of the shaft 16 there is provided a trip device for shifting the pawl 42. The trip device preferably consists of an arm 45 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as at 46. One

end 47 thereof is adapted to be positioned within the path of movement of the end 48 of the pawl 42, to be engaged thereby and to be rocked about its pivot, thereby releasing the sprocket 34 and disc 40 with respect to the shaft 35. In order to prevent overthrow of the disc 40 when thus released a stop device 49 is provided which consists of an arm pivotally mounted by one end as at 50, the other end 51 thereof contacts with the periphery of the disc 40, and a shoulder 52 is provided in the periphery of the disc 40 which is adapted to engage the end 51 of the stop device 49.

A spring 53 may be provided which tends normally to hold the end of the stop device in position to be engaged by the shoulder 52. This spring 53 is preferably carried by the end 47 of the arm or member 45.

When the arm 45 is in the position shown in Figure 7, which will be thus positioned and maintained in a manner to be described, the spring 53 will be placed under tension so that when the arm 45 is released to move about its pivot 46, the tendency of the spring 53 will be to lower the end 47 of the arm 45.

The arm 45 is adapted to be rocked in one direction to release the pawl 42 preferably by means of a spring 54 and to be moved in the opposite direction to position the end 47 of the arm in the path of movement of the end 48 of the pawl 42 to trip the latter, by means of an extension 55 which is secured to the arm. This extension terminates adjacent the path of movement of a cam formation 56 connected for rotation with the sprocket wheel 29 and an anti-friction roller 57 may be journaled to the end of the extension 55 to be engaged by the cam 56. Thus, when the cam 56 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 7, and assuming that the end 47 of the arm 45 is moved downwardly as indicated by the arrow, the'cam 56 will engage the antifriction roller 57 to rock the arm 45 and raise the extremity 47 to the position shown in Figure 7.

When in this position the arm is adapted to be locked or held against further movement by means of a catch 58 (see particularly Figure 5) which is adapted to engage over the arm 45.

The catch 58 is adapted to be actuated by 1 0 means of the articles being fed into the machine and that are to be placed into the container or case, but has a normal tendency to assume a position to engage over a portion of the arm 45, when the latter is in position adjacent the catch. This is accomplished by means ofa spring 59 that encompasses a rod 60. The rod passes through one end of the catch 58 and to the end of thewrod is connected a nut or collar 61. One end of the spring 59 engages the catch and the other end of the spring engages a collar 62 on the rod 60. The rod is connected as at 63 to a member 64 that is pivotally mounted as at 65. A portion 66 of the member 64 being shaped to form a trip or projection arranged in' the path of the incoming articles, to be later described. A spring 67 tends normally to raise the member 64, the rod 60 and the spring 59 to rock the catch 58 into an operative position. The spring 59 yields to permit the arm to pass under the catch.

As the shaft 16 is rotated, the conveyor will be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, to raise the articles 24 that are carried by the platforms or supports 23 to a position adjacent a receiving table or platform 68. In the present form of the inventionthis platform or table constitutes the portion of a spout over which a carton or casing 69 is telescoped. The spout is provided with an inclined portion 70 for opening and holding the flap 71 of the carton open so as not to interfere with the insertion of the articles thereinto.

As the articles are brought to positions adj acent the spout, they will be superposed upon the conveyor platforms 23 and aplurality of layers or rows of cartons 24 are simultaneously ejected from the conveyor or platform 23 on to the table or platform 68 through the nozzle and into the carton or case 69.

lVhen a predetermined number of rows or stacks of articles have been placed in the carton it will be ejected from the nozzle and will fall upon suitable guides 72 which will partially turn the carton so that it will be delivered with the open side uppermost upon a suitable conveyor to be conveyed away from the machine, as shown more clearly in Figure 2. a

The flaps constituting the bottom of the carton may be held closed by means of suitable fingers or members 74 (see also Figure 1) any number of which may be provided, and

these members 74 are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends as at 75 and are overbalanced by means of suitable weights 76 which operate to hold the fingers 71 against the bottom of the carton when the latter is held upon the nozzle or spout 68.

K The articles to be placed in the carton are simultaneously.

one side thereof and directly upon the adjacent platform of one of the conveyors. In the present form of the invention two conveyors are disclosed which are separated from each other laterally but which operate A platform 79 is disposed intermediate the respective platforms or supports of the conveyor so that in feeding the articles 24 into the machine they will pass from one conveyor to the other until the predetermined number of articles has been deposited upon each of the conveyor platforms. When a series of articles has been fed to the alined platforms 23 of the two conveyors, as shown in F igure.5, one of the articles will rest upon the intermediate platform 79 and the mechanismwvill be tripped to start the conveyors in their movement, by the engagement of one of the articles with the trip or member 66 which is arranged in the path of movement of the articles in the machine.

When this member 66 is tripped the member 64 will be rocked about its pivot 65 to lower the rod 60 and this will rock the catch 58 to the position shown in Figure 5, thereby releasing .the arm 45, allowing the spring 54, augmented by the spring 53 to swing the arm 45 (see Figure 7) in the direction indicated by the arrow, thereby releasing the pawl 42, allowing the spring 44 to move the end 43 of the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth 41. This will lock the sprocket wheel 34 to the shaft 35 so that through the medium of the Geneva mechanism one step of rotation will be imparted to the shaft 16. s

As a means for preventing damage to the mechanism the sprocket wheel 36 may be secured to the shaft by a clutch comprised of two members 8081, the member 80 being keyed to the shaft while the member 81 is loose with respect to the shaft. The sprocket 36 is provided with an opening 82 therethrough through which thebolts 83 pass. These bolts are secured to the member 80 and are encompassed by springs 84 which operate upon the member 81 to clamp the sprocket 36 between the members 80 and 81. These springs 80 are of such a stress that normally the sprocket wheel 36 will be gripped therebetween with sufiicient friction so as to rotate with the shaft 35. of any resistance being exerted upon the sprocket wheel 36 the latter will be mainluo But, in the event tained against rotation while the shaft 35 is rotated, due to the fact that the clutch members 80 and 81 will slip with respect to the sprocket wheel 36.

The articles are fed into the machine preferably by means of a roller 85 (see particularly Figures 1 and 4) disposed adjacent the chute 77 This roller is preferably provided with a resilient periphery and is connected with the shaft 86 for rotation therewith, the shaft being journaled in suitable bearings 87. Secured to the shaft 86 is a pulley 88 over which a driving belt 89 passes, and this belt in turn passes over another pulley 90 conejectors are arranged between the runs of the conveyors and embody an ejector 91 for each of a predetermined number of platforms or supports 23. These ejectors 91 are preferably in the form of frames comprising a stationary portion 92 which are, connected to a member 93 that is supported for a reciprocable movement. To that end the ends of the member 93 pass through suitable slots 94 in the upright sides of the casing 15. The other section 95 of each of the ejectors 91 is pivotally connected by one end as at 96 with the stationary portion 92. A pin97 is connected with the pivoted portion 95 and eX- tends laterally therefrom to engage a shoulder 98 on the portion 92 to limit the down- Ward movement of the pivoted portion 95 so that when the parts assume the positions as shown in Figure 9, which they will do at a certain point in the cycle of operation of the machine, the endless conveyors 22 will be permitted to advance and the pivotally mounted portions 95 of the ejectors will yield so as not to interrupt the movement of the conveyor or carrier and at the same time prevent injury to the machine.

As the endless carrier moves in the direction indicated by the arrow, the portions 95 will be swung about their pivots and the latter will then move backinto the position shown in Figure 3, when the carrier is at rest.

The ejectors are given a reciprocating movement at a predetermined time in the cycle of operation of the machine. In the present form of the invention the carrier with the platforms 23 is adapted to be given three intermittent steps of advancing movement while the ejectors are idle. At the completion of the third step of such intermittent advancing movement, the carrier will be arrested and the ejectors will be operated to eject the articles 24 from the platforms 23 upon the support or table 68. 1 V

This is accomplished preferably by means of the following described mechanism. rod or member 99 (see particularly Figures 2 and 7) is pivotally connected at one end as at 100 with the sprocket wheel 29 and telescopes into a tubular memberlOl, the free end of which latter is pivotally connected as at 102 with an extension 103 that is connected with an arm 104; The arm 104 is connected by its other end to the rock shaft 17 one of moves between suitable guides 107 on the sides of the casing 15 adjacent the slots 94 so that when the arm 104 is rocked the slide' will be reciprocated to advance and retract the ejectors 91.

The telescoping members 99 and 101 are normally disconnected so as to permit of the different steps of intermittent movement being imparted to the carrier and platforms 23, while the ejector mechanism is idle, but the members 99 and 101 are connected together automatically when it is desired to actuate the ejectors. To that end the tubular member 101 is provided with an opening 108 into which a portion of a catch 109 projects. This catch 109 is pivotally supported at 110 and is provided with an undercut shoulder 111. A spring 112 operates upon the catch 109 to raise the shouldered portion 111 so that the member 99 will be free for a reciprocating movement within the tubular member 101, a pin and slot 113114 being provided to limit the movement of the catch 109 under the influence of the spring 112. The member 99 is provided with an undercut shouldered portion 115 which, when the catch 109 is depressed, co-operates with the shouldered portion 111 on the catch 109 and locks the telescoped members 99 and 101 together and for movement in unison so thatthe ejectors will be operated.

The locking of the members 99 and 101 may be effected in any suitable manner, the unlocking being effected by means of the spring 112 which shifts the catch 109 to the position shown in Figure 7, at a predetermined time in the cycle of operation of the mechanism.

An arm 116 is pivotally mounted at one end as at 117 upon a suitable fixed support and carried by the other end 118 thereof is a cam or projection 119 disposed in a position to engage and depress the catch 109 against the stress of the spring 112.

Another arm 120 is pivotally mounted by one end as at 117 and the other end 121 thereof is disposed in the path of movement of a pin or projection 122 carried by a gear 123 rotatably supported as at 124, and which gear meshes with the gear 25. A rod or member 125 is pivotally connected as at 126v with the arm 116 and passes through a pivoted hearing 127 carried by the arm 120, a nut or collar 128 being secured to the end of the rod and a spring 129 encompasses the rod and has a bearing against the connection 126 and the bearing 127, the stress of the spring 129 being such that it tends normally to hold the arms 120 and 116 separated so that when the arm 120 is rocked by the pin or projection 122 on the gear 123, both of the arms will be moved about their pivot 117 and the cam or projecon the catch 109. When this catch is de- 115 and thereby release the members 99 and It will be manifest that when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 7 and when the gear 29 rotates in the direction indicated.

by the arrow, the tubular member 101 which is connected with the ejectors, will remain at rest and the rod 99 will be telescoped into the member 101-until the point of connection 100 of the rod 99 with the gear 29, starts to move in the opposite direction with respect to the member 101. During this movement of the connection 100, the projection 30 on the gear 29 will operate upon the Geneva ele ment 27 to rotate the latter and thereby impart one step of rotation to the shaft 16 to advance the carriers or platforms 23. When the projection 30 passes out of engagement with the Geneva element 27 and the latter is locked against rotation, the locking between the elements 99 and 101 will become effective as the catch 109 will be depressed and the rod 99 tending to move backwardly in the member 101 will cause its shoulder 115 to engage the shoulder 111 and both the elements 101 and 99 will be moved, thereby operating the ejectors.

By the time the projection 30 operates upon the Geneva element 27 again, the members 99 and 101 will be unlocked.

As a result of this operation'the ends 91 of the ejectors will assume the positions shown in Figure 9, at the time that the conveyors 20 and platforms or supports 23 commence to move. Therefore, in order to prevent injury to the machine or mechanism the sections 95 of the ejectors are pivotally connected tothe sections 92 and will yield. At the same time that this operation takes place the ejector will be moved to the limit of its retracted position or to the position shown in Figure 3.

i It is thought that the operation will be clearly understood from the foregoing, but briefly stated it is as follows Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figure 3',

the actuating mechanism will be in the posi-' tion shown in Figure 7. The shaft 35 being continuously operating, motion will be imparted to the roller 85 to feed the articles or containers into the machine through the opening 78 and on to the platforms or supports 23 until the foremost article or container engages the trip 66 (see Figure 5) to rock the latter, thereby shifting the catch 58 (see also Figure 7 to release the arm 45. The spring 54 and the spring 53 will then rock the" arm so as to move the end 47 out of the path of movement of the end 48 of the pawl 42, allowing the latter to move into engagement with the ratchet element 41, thereby locking the sprocket wheel 34 with the shaft 35. Motion will then be imparted through the medium of the sprocket chain 32 to the gear Wheel 29. The operation of the gear 29 will cause the operation of the Geneva element 27 and the gear 26, the latter in turn rotating the gear 25 to impart one step of advancing movement of the conveyor and platform or supports.

As the gear 29 thus rotates the member 99 will be moved into the member 101 to a position that as the gear 123 rotates and when the pin 122 engages and rocks the arm 120, the catch 109 will be depressed so as to lock the elements 101 and 99 together, thereby causing the ejectors to be moved to remove the superposed articles or containers from the conveyor on to the support 68 to be delivered into the cartons.

It will be manifest that inasmuch as the Geneva element 27 will operate to impart only a limited degree of movement to the gear 25, the conveyor and platform will be moved only one step of advancing movement upon each movement of the Geneva element 27, the operation of the gear 29 will be controlled by the cam 56, which latter will errgage the roller on the extension on the arm 45 to rock the latter once upon each complete rotation of the gear 29, thereby positioning the end 47 of the arm 45 to trip the pawl 42 to arrest the movement of the gear 29, the releasing of the arm 45 being controlled by the feeding of the articles into the machine and the operation of the trip 66.

While the preferred form of the invention has been'hereinshown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the I combination and arrangement of the several 1 a advancing the support, means for supplying the articles to the support, an e ector arranged adjacent the path of movement of the support for ejecting the articles from the support, said ejector'projecting over the support, said support being movable in a direction transverse to the operative movement of the ejector, and means operating to permit the ejector to be engaged and moved by the support and in the direction of movement of the support.

2. A packaging machine including a travcling conveyor, article supports carried thereby, and an ejector arranged adjacent the path of travel of the supports, said ejector having supports, said ejector embodying two sections pivotally connected together, interengaging means on said sections for supporting said sections in operative relation, means for moving the ejector transversely to the line of travel of the conveyor and support and to project a portion of the pivoted section across the support, said pivoted section being engaged by a portion of the conveyor at a predetermined time in the cycle of operation of the conveyorand supports to swing said pivoted section about its pivot.

4. A packaging machine including a receiver for the articles, a conveyor for moving the articles to be packed to a point adjacent the receiver, a reciprocating ejector for moving the articles from the conveyor to the receiver, means for rendering said ejector active and inactive, the said means embodying an actuator, telescoping slidable members one of which is connected with the actuator and the other with said ejector, interengaging means for locking said telescoping members for movement in unison, the last said means embodying a catch device. means tending normally to render said catch device inactive to permit a relative sliding movement of the telescoping members, and means for automatically rendering said catch device active at a predetermined time in the cycle of operation of the machine.

5. A packaging machine including a receiver for the articles. a conveyor for moving the articles to be packed to a point adjacent the receiver, a reciprocating ejector for movmg the articles from the convevor to the receiver, means for rendering said e ector active and inactive, the said means embodying an actuator, telescoping slidable members one of which is connected with the actuator and the other with said ejector, interengaging means for locking said telescoping members for movement in unison, the last said means embodying a catch device, means tending normally to render said catch device inactive to permit a relative sliding movement of the telescoping members, and means responsive to its operation to the supply of the articles being delivered to the conveyor for causing said catch device to become active to lock said telescoping members for movement together.

6. A packaging machine embodying a conveyor for the articles to be packed, an ejector for moving the articles from the conveyor, an actuator for the ejector, co-operating slidable members one of which is connected with the actuator, the other being connected with the ejector, a normally inactive catch device, means for rendering the catch device active to lock the slidable members to actuate the ejector, the last recited means embodying a pivotally mounted member, and means for rocking the last said member to shift the catch device.

7 A packaging machine embodying a conveyor for the articles to be packed, an ejector for moving the articles from the conveyor, an actuator for the ejector, co-operating slidable members one of which is connected with the actuator, the other being connected with the ejector, a normally inactive catch device, means for rendering the catch device active to lock the slidable members to actuate the ejector, the last recited means embodying a pivotally mounted member, means for rocking the last said member to shift the catch device, and resilient means disposed between the last said means the said catch device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 13th day of June, A. D. 1928.

GARRETT W. MUDD. 

